The space that had returned to calm began to shift once more. The light of the spheres grew brighter but carried an unsettling tension, as if warning of a new threat. The symbol at the center of the knot pulsed, sending waves of energy rippling through the surrounding fabric of existence.
“What now?” Melania asked, feeling the ground beneath her feet begin to tremble.
Endar leaned forward, studying the symbol intently. His eyes glimmered with golden light as he slowly replied:
“The knot has recognized the changes. It’s rebuilding itself, but something… something is interfering.”
Suddenly, one of the largest spheres cracked, releasing a stream of crimson light. From the fracture emerged shadows, spiraling around to form a vortex. The air filled with a deep hum, like the whispers of countless voices.
“These are remnants of the old order,” Melania said, her voice calm but her eyes alight with determination. “They don’t want to vanish.”
Endar nodded, understanding that what lay ahead was not just a battle for the knot but for the very existence of the new Eternity.
The vortex of darkness expanded. From within emerged creatures—shadowy figures resembling fragments of lost souls. Their eyes burned with crimson fire, and their movements were swift and erratic.
“They want to consume the knot,” Endar said, raising his hands. Golden sparks flickered around him as he formed a protective barrier around himself and Melania.
“We can’t let them,” Melania replied, drawing the symbolic blade she had received from the knot during their previous trial.
The creatures lunged forward, their screams blending with the knot’s low hum. Endar held the barrier, but wave after wave of shadows battered against it, cracking the golden shield.
“I can’t hold them off for long!” he shouted.
“Then don’t,” Melania replied, leaping beyond the barrier. Her blade glowed with white light, and with every strike, the shadows disintegrated into dust.
But the shadows kept emerging, endlessly pouring out of the vortex.
“They’re part of the knot,” Endar realized suddenly. “They’re remnants of old connections the knot can’t let go of.”
Melania paused, slashing at another wave of creatures. Her eyes narrowed as the meaning of his words sank in.
“If we destroy them all, the knot might lose part of its stability,” she said. “We need to find a way to integrate them, not obliterate them.”
Endar lowered the barrier and stepped closer to the glowing symbol at the center of the knot. He reached out, touching it. A surge of energy shot through his body, forcing a cry of pain from his lips.
“What are you doing?!” Melania yelled.
“I’m trying… to establish a connection,” he replied through gritted teeth. “If the knot accepts them as part of itself, they’ll stop resisting.”
The light around the symbol began to shift. It shimmered in countless colors, as if searching for equilibrium. The shadows halted their attacks, seeming to sense the change.
Melania raised her blade, ready to protect Endar as he worked with the knot. But instead of another attack, the shadows began to circle the symbol, forming a sphere that glowed with red and gold light.
Endar slowly withdrew his hand, his face pale and his movements heavy.
“They’ve taken on a new form. Instead of fighting the knot, they’re becoming its guardians,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with awe.
Melania lowered her blade, watching as the vortex dissipated, leaving the knot glowing more steadily than before.
“They were never enemies,” she realized. “They were remnants of what was lost… seeking purpose.”
Endar nodded, though exhaustion was evident in his expression.
“The knot doesn’t forget,” he said. “It transforms.”
As the last echoes of the shadows faded, the knot pulsed once more, radiating calm energy. But the sense of completion was fleeting—Melania could feel it in her bones.
“This was just the beginning,” she murmured, looking at Endar.
He met her gaze and said, “Then we must be ready for what comes next.”
The knot, restored but changed, shimmered with quiet intensity. Its guardians now stood silently within its folds, awaiting the next challenge.